BOGOTA, March 16 (Reuters) - Union workers at Colombia's
largest coal mine Cerrejon reached a deal with the company over
wages and benefits that avoided a strike, both sides said late
on Tuesday.

A strike at the Cerrejon mine in northern Colombia, which in
2015 produced 33.2 million tonnes of coal, or 38.8 percent of
Colombia's total output, would have come at an inopportune time
for the country, which is experiencing a commodity-related
economic slowdown.

The accord between the union, known as Sintracarbon, and
Cerrejon was negotiated with the mediation of the labor
ministry. Unionized workers had already voted to strike.

"We signed a deal for two years with salary increases and
improvements in health and education. There's no strike," union
chief Jairo Quiroz told Reuters.

Cerrejon said in a statement the two-year deal was tough
since it comes amid a decline in coal prices.

Cerrejon is a joint venture between Australia-based BHP
Billiton Ltd , London-listed Anglo American Plc
and Swiss-based Glencore Xstrata. It has been
producing coal in Colombia since the mid-1980s under a
concession that runs until 2033.

Colombia is the world's fifth-largest coal exporter. The
country's output fell 3.5 percent in 2015 to 85.5 million
tonnes.

The union represents 4,200 of the 10,000 workers at the
mine, located in La Guajira province.

The last strike at Cerrejon took place in February 2013 and
lasted 32 days.
(Editing by Susan Thomas)